I use drag and drop to add images to canvas and once the image is in the program, there seems to be no way to find out its file name it has in windows explorer. I also tried importing it but the file name is lost as well. 

I have folder of hundreds of images and if I don't make a written note where I ended work session, I can't find which image to continue with when I resume work next day. Also lose track of image I work on when I click into win explorer accidentally and lose the selection. I am lost if I don't remember the image number I worked on last. Neither the image or object properties show the name. Maybe as I suspect, that simply can't be helped?

I tried to enter image file name in the image properties in the Title field, but when I save, the name is not preserved (the field is emptied). At least there should be some note area where you can write notes to save along with the file...  I guess the majority of Inkscape users just work on a single image long time, not processing hundreds of them. 

Here I am assembling a big image out of 1201 image pieces...

As you import the pieces, you could use [Image Import Type: Link] instead of [Image Import Type: Embed]. Then [right_click > Image Properties...] to see the path and filename of the linked image.

Also, if you [Enable Snapping] and select [Bounding boxes] and [Corners], you'll find it easier to align your tiles.

I split this off another topic, as they were unrelated.

If you link an image :

• Status bar displays absolute path of image when it's selected.
• If you select this image and open xml editor, there are 2 fields : inkscape:label and xlink:href that might be useful. One could imagine an extension gathering filename from xlink:href and setting a new inkscape:label to batch rename images.

Status bar 

The win exp file name is 43_0.png in this attachment example and I don't see that name either in the status bar or in the xml editor.

I imported simply using the File-Import menu command to see if that way the file name would be preserved (it was not) and while I didn't try those various ways to import a file, the point is there is way too many files to use importing method, it needs to be drag 'n drop. I could possibly import one image at the end of the day's work session, so the next day I could continue the work, identify the last file I worked on... but then it is simpler to just make a note of the file in notepad. 

I use win exp. Large Tile view or even Extra Large view but even then you can't locate tiles visually, except maybe those few that have distinct graphic element in them. I realize though this is pretty non standard use of graphic program, be it Inkscape or any other one. 

Paddy_CAD

if you [Enable Snapping] and select [Bounding boxes] and [Corners], you'll find it easier to align your tiles.

I have tried Enabling Snapping last time and didn't find it too 'productive' (also the various snapping options poping up seemed distracting) and I reverted to dragging images approximately close and finished nudging them by arrows for exact alignment. 

However now that the post was split and I have seen your suggestion here again, I tried again activating it and to may astonishment, I found it solved the problem I posted about on a separate thread here. 

 https://inkscape.org/forums/beyond/images-vertical-alignment-off-by-one-pixel/

Somehow when the images snap together, they are aligned precisely, while when nudging them together using arrow keys doesn't work. It is always one pixel off. So you solved for me more important problem of image alignment. 

Now I am still puzzled, if not even more, why they align when snapped and not when nudged by arrow keys. I assume the arrow keys move image one pixel at a time... so why it won't work but snapping does??

I can make a note on that other post that snapping together aligns the images perfectly but still hope someone might provide an explanation there why nudging by arrow doesn't work, or more precisely, why it works differently from snapping.

Made post on the wrong thread, can remove it, thanks.

I tried to tile bitmap images :

• using snapping to cusps nodes only (first row)
• using geometric bounding boxes and snapping to bounding boxes corners (second row)

And got the same issues : a tiny line displays or not, depending on the zoom level.

As a workaround, I would use grid tab in align and distribute panel (ctrl+shift+a) : there you can set a X and Y spacing : I used a -1 pixel for both X and Y : it works fine (third row) and it is faster.

With a good organisation, it can be really quick.

Here I named the .png  so that each row has a letter a each column a number. I windows explorer, I sorted them by name (increasing). In your first screenshot, it works the same way if 16_3.png refers to the 3rd column of the 16th row.

I apologize for the speed ot the gif (I tried to reduce my file size). I just select all files in windows explorer, drag and drop them. Click on canvas (or only last image is selected) then select all, set number of rows and columns, correct spacing, and click on arrange button).

Let's summarize : in windows explorer, .png files have been sorted by increasing name and here letters refers to rows and numbers to columns. Now if unfortunlately letters refers to columns and numbers to rows : (in your organisation 16_3 = 16th column, 3rd row).

• I'd just drag and drop each column (here files begining with A, in your organization 1_ ) separately, arrange them with one unique column. Then group all images (they are still selected after arranging them : just press ctrl + g.
• Repeat for each column. 
• Finally select all columns and arrange them in one row.

One more idea related to the original subject of this topic : with linked images, the path (path here refers to the windows term) of the linked file is a value stored in an attribute named xlink:href (you can click on an image and open xml editor to see).

Let's say you want to select all linked png (assuming you choosed link as import option and the files were sorted in windows explorer) corresponding to 16_xx.png files. I'd use find / replace panel (ctrl + f) and :

• type 16_ in find field.
• choose Search in : properties, and scope : all
• tick attribute value
• then click on search.

From there, you can rearrange them in columns or rows. It will still work fine as long as the files were sorted in windows explorer before multiple selecting them and dragging and dropping on canvas.

You may type something longer in find field,  let's say a part of the path (ie /Users/Pictures/My_scans/Game/16_)